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Top 10 Reasons to Replace Your Payroll Vendor

Remember David Letterman? On his “Late Night with David Letterman” and then the “Late Show with David Letterman”, every night he would read a list of top 10 items from the news, or whatever, with like top 10 least favorite Christmas carols or top 10 things that sound cool when said by Snoop Dogg. 

From the home base in Brookfield, Wisconsin, welcome to another episode of Inside Connect & Simplify. Glad you're here, human capital management consultant for the Benefit Companies, and today, here are my top 10 reasons to replace your payroll vendor. 

By the way, when workshopping the title of this list, I started with “Top 10 Reasons Your Payroll Vendor Sucks,” but a teammate thought that was a bit aggressive. I pointed out that you can Google anyone or anything and add the word sucks after it and Google will have results. But in the end, I went with the less aggressive “...Replace Your Payroll Vendor.” So here we go. In no particular order, here are the top 10 reasons to replace your payroll vendor. 

10. Errors. 

Paying your employees correctly and on time seems like the minimum standard requirement for a payroll vendor yet, errors are still a big issue when we talk with prospects. If the vendor can't get the employee classifications and setup correct, then the checks will be wrong. 

9. Poor Customer Service 

If you are on hold for an hour, or you leave a message and do not get a response in a timely manner, that's a problem. Landing in the dreaded queue is not what you want to hear when you have an issue. 

8. Outdated Technology 

Instead of pushing updates in the cloud, they are software-based, meaning there will be manual updates at the client level, possibly run by the client off hours and, of course, everything works perfectly after an update. There's never fallout or changes that impact others, or payroll, or reporting process…never. 

7. They DO NOT Play Well With Others 

With the rise of human capital management platforms, the capability to integrate data movement between human resources, payroll, time/labor management, benefits, and retirement plans is here and available. If you have separate vendors for these administrative tasks, integration is cumbersome at best, and impossible at worst. Systems do not talk with each other. 

6. The Implementation Was a Train Wreck

If an implementation is mishandled, it leaves a scar. Companies are looking for an upgrade when they switch and if the change is a train wreck - taking longer, costing more, filled with patches and fixes - that's gonna leave a mark. Typically, a lack of proper discovery and testing will lead to a poor implementation. 

5. Lack of Training & Follow Up

It takes a minute for employees to understand the new system and processes. Anytime to digest the new and they need proper education on how to navigate, this can't be done with a manual or PowerPoint slide deck. And if the trainer is new or inexperienced, it increases the frustration.

4. Inexperienced Support or Account Executives 

Time and again, we hear of a revolving door regarding the point of contact, customer service sales, tech support, you name it, we hear that every time a prospect has a call for help, it's someone new that has no idea who they are, and have little to no experience. 

3. Where's My Data?

Limited reporting capabilities, overnight processing of reports, no custom reporting available. Even if the payroll process is running correctly, the prospect does not have access to the reports needed to make real time decisions, and are limited to the kind of reports they have access to. 

2. The Vendor is Not Invested 

Once the prospect signed on with the vendor, the process got handed off to the next team and the relationship changed. Now it feels like a vendor, not a partner working to make a relationship better and stronger. It's a purchase not a partnership. 

1. Cost

We've heard this before, “I am sure I am paying for things I don't even use.” Vendors who produce software packages are building for the masses, not designing for an individual client. When that happens there are limitations for the complex client and unnecessary expenses for the basic client. So the complex pay, additional fees, and the basic pay for features they'll never use.

So, how many of these top 10 reasons are you dealing with? 

 

Customized Payroll Processing from the Benefit Companies

Here's how our approach at the Benefit Companies can eliminate these top 10 pains. 

10. Errors

With an in depth discovery process, we ID all the components of your payroll process, we design a solution to meet those needs, we test it, and test it with you, before going live. No cookie cutter designs, all specific to your company. 

9. Core Customer Service 

Our payroll processes are part of the design process and are assigned to clients. They know your company and are your direct point of contact for questions. 

8. Outdated Technology 

Our tech partner is UKG, which is Ultimate Khronos Group - that's when Ultimate Software and Chronos merged a few years back - and the new company is the industry leader in payroll and HCM software. Cloud-based, secure, and continuously updated to keep our clients at the front of tech capabilities. 

7. Don't Play Well With Others 

The Benefit Companies is the only provider I'm aware of in the United States that can integrate human resources, time labor management, payroll, retirement, and employee benefits in one human capital management platform under our trademarked Connect & Simplify system. All under one roof. No outside vendors required. We don't need to play well with others because we can handle it all in house. 

6. The Implementation Was a Train Wreck 

Our steps are the following: discovery, design, testing, training, implementation, more training, follow up, more follow ups, and check in. We do not hand off payroll till it is tested and proven to be correct. Then we walk with you. 

5. Lack of Training & Follow Up 

Training and follow up are on your schedule, not ours. Tell us what you need, we accommodate. Our teams are experienced and proven system users. Need more? Just ask. 

4. Experienced Support or Account Executives 

Our average number of years of experience is easily over 10 years in every one of our departments. Payroll is no exception. Even if our teammate is new to the Benefit Companies, they have industry experience. Many come with additional HR experience that helps us understand details layers deep than just basic payroll. And we have clients in all 50 states. So we know the rules specific to your area. 

3. Where's my data? 

Not only do we have dozens of standard reports available, we can build reporting to fit your company needs. Tell us what you need. 

2. The Vendor is Not Invested 

We take every relationship seriously. I know that I can bring on prospects with confidence that my teammates can handle anything, and we'll treat them with respect. We want our prospects to win for themselves, their employees, and families - and then we all win! 

1. Cost 

We may, or may not, be the best price point. You will pay for exactly what you want and need. You're not going to get a package that includes things you do not need. And think of the ROI. When your payroll process runs smoothly with no manual steps, elimination of paper processes, and no errors to correct, the time and money saved will boost the ROI even higher. 

So the top 10 reasons to replace your payroll vendor and the top 10 reasons to consider the Benefit Companies as your payroll partner. Want to chat about your top reasons to replace your vendor. Go to connectandsimplify.com or call us at 262-207-1999. I'll take your call personally at extension 125. 

Thanks for listening to this episode of Inside Connect & Simplify. Be well!